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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“All My Loving” by the Beatles is a great example of their early ’60s pop style. This song’s verse chord progression is in the key of D Major with a mix of minor chords and 7th chords that add to the emotional intensity of the song. The composition blends pop simplicity with complex harmony, encapsulating the Beatles’ innovative songwriting.

The Beatles’ “Something” is a soulful ballad from their 1969 album “Abbey Road.” It’s primarily composed in the key of C major, but features modulations to other keys throughout its duration. The harmony of this song is somewhat complicated, but still rooted in traditional practices. “Something” effectively uses borrowed chords—chords from parallel keys—to create a fresh and memorable sound.

The progression is in the key of C major. The use of the Bb major is known as modal interchange, where a chord that is not in the key is borrowed from a parallel key, which in this case is C minor. This contributes an interesting tone color to the overall sound. The chord progression does consist a use of slash chords (C/B, C/G) which adds a more complex bassline creating a more harmonically active feeling, and yielding more tension and release.

The chord progression in MGMT’s “Congratulations” contains a mix of diatonic and non-diatonic chords, which provide a combination of stability and tension throughout the progression. The harmonic rhythm is slow, and the progression is mostly driven by bass line movement and voice leading. The mixture of borrowed chords, inversions, and suspended chords contributes to the overall unique character of the piece.

“Someone to Love” by Queen is a rock song infused with gospel and blues influences. It’s written in the key of Ab major but the second verse you have provided seems to be in G major.

The Beatles – All My Loving – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘A7’, ‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here is the chord progression for Verse 2 with its full chord names and their Roman numerals:

– E Minor (‘Em’) – vi
– A Dominant 7th (‘A7’) – V7
– D Major (‘D’) – I
– B Minor (‘Bm’) – vi
– G Major (‘G’) – IV
– E Minor (‘Em’) – vi
– C Major (‘C’) – II
– A Dominant 7th (‘A7’) – V7
– E Minor (‘Em’) – vi
– A Dominant 7th (‘A7’) – V7
– D Major (‘D’) – I
– B Minor (‘Bm’) – vi
– G Major (‘G’) – IV
– A Major (‘A’) – V
– D Major (‘D’) – I

Borrowed chord:

The C Major chord is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key, D minor.

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C Major ‘II’
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Similar Chord Progressions

A similar chord progression can be found in “Cherry Wine” by Hozier, and structured as follows:

– E Minor (‘Em’)
– A Dominant 7th (‘A7’)
– D Major (‘D’)
– B Minor (‘Bm’)
– G Major (‘G’)
– E Minor (‘Em’)
– C Major (‘C’)
– D Major (‘D’)

Another similar chord progression is in “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, as follows:

– G Major (‘G’)
– E Minor (‘Em’)
– C Major (‘C’)
– D Major (‘D’)

Musical Analysis

“All My Loving” prominently features a walking bassline and 2-beat percussive pattern that emblematic of the Merseybeat sound popular in the early 1960s. In particular, the use of E minor and D Major tonalities within the verse sections provides a unique colouring to the piece, lending a melancholic and contemplative undertone to the otherwise upbeat pop structure.

Overall Analysis

“All My Loving” by The Beatles is a mid-tempo pop song written in the key of E minor for the verse and D Major for the bridge and outro, featuring a distinct, upbeat walking bassline. The grey, almost mournful verses, along with the brighter, major-toned bridges and chorus, create a juxtaposition of feelings within the piece. The bridge also highlights The Beatles’ use of secondary dominants and chromaticism. Concluding in the tonic key of D Major, the song has an interesting interplay between Em and D Major throughout, which could be perceived as a Em: i, VI, III, II and D: vi, V7, I, vi, IV, ii, I progression.

Style Analysis

In terms of songwriting style, the dominant 7th chords give the piece a bluesy feel, while the fast tempo and 4/4 time signature make the track firmly a pop tune. The Beatles’ frequent change of chords and use of minor and major tonalities within the same piece introduces a certain depth to the song, and is a common technique used by the band in many of their songs.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of All My Loving by The Beatles are:

[‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘A7’, ‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘D’]